The interest rate boogeyman came out in October as fears of an overzealous Federal Reserve monetary policy paralyzed investors into thinking rising interest rates could murder the economy into recession. But other ghostly issues frightened the stock market last month as well, including mid-term elections, heightening trade war tensions, a weakening Chinese economy, a fragile European economy (especially Italy), rising oil prices, weakening emerging market economies, anti-Semitism, politically motivated bomb threats, and anxiety over a potential recession after an aged economic expansion embarks on its 10th consecutive year of gains.

This ghoulish short-term backdrop resulted in the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffering a -5.1% drop last month, and the technology-heavy NASDAQ index screamed even lower by -9.2%. The results for the full year 2018 look more constructive – the S&P 500 is up +1.4% and the NASDAQ has climbed +5.8%.

Should the dreadful October result be surprising? Historically speaking, seasonality in the stock market has been quite scary during the month of October, especially if you consider the spooky stock Market Crash of 1929 (-19.7%) , the 1987 Crash (-21.5%), and the bloody collapse during the October 2008 Financial Crisis (-16.8%). There is good news, however. Seasonally, the holiday months of November and December typically tend to treat investors more cheerfully during the so-called “Santa Claus Rally” period. Since 1950 through 2017, the average return for stocks during November has been +1.4% (45 up years and 23 down years). For December, the results are even better at +1.5% (51 up years and 17 down years).

November (1950-2017)

December (1950-2017)

Up Years

Down Years

Up Years

Down Years

2017 2.40%

2015 -0.02%

2017 1.08%

2015 -1.87%

2016 3.29%

2011 -0.32%

2016 1.76%

2014 -0.33%

2014 2.45%

2010 -0.44%

2013 2.31%

2007 -0.76%

2013 2.68%

2008 -7.48%

2012 0.70%

2005 -0.10%

2012 0.28%

2007 -4.18%

2011 0.86%

2002 -6.03%

2009 5.74%

2000 -8.01%

2010 5.99%

1996 -2.15%

2006 1.66%

1994 -3.93%

2009 1.48%

1986 -2.83%

2005 3.52%

1993 -1.29%

2008 1.65%

1983 -0.87%

2004 3.86%

1991 -4.39%

2006 1.26%

1981 -3.01%

2003 0.71%

1988 -1.89%

2004 3.25%

1980 -3.39%

2002 5.71%

1987 -8.51%

2003 5.08%

1975 -1.15%

2001 7.52%

1984 -1.51%

2001 0.76%

1974 -1.78%

1999 1.92%

1976 -0.78%

2000 0.41%

1969 -1.87%

1998 5.91%

1974 -5.32%

1999 5.78%

1968 -4.16%

1997 4.46%

1973 -11.39%

1998 5.64%

1966 -0.15%

1996 7.34%

1971 -0.25%

1997 1.57%

1961 -0.32%

1995 4.10%

1969 -3.41%

1995 1.74%

1957 -3.31%

1992 3.03%

1965 -0.88%

1994 1.26%

1990 6.00%

1964 -0.52%

1993 0.98%

1989 1.65%

1963 -1.05%

1992 1.01%

1986 2.15%

1956 -3.10%

1991 11.19%

1985 6.51%

1951 -0.95%

1990 2.48%

1983 1.74%

1950 -0.26%

1989 2.14%

1982 3.60%

1988 1.48%

1981 3.27%

1987 7.28%

1980 10.24%

1985 4.51%

1979 4.26%

1984 2.24%

1978 0.61%

1982 1.50%

1977 2.86%

1979 1.68%

1975 2.47%

1978 1.16%

1972 4.56%

1977 0.28%

1970 4.74%

1976 5.25%

1968 4.80%

1973 1.79%

1967 0.75%

1972 1.18%

1966 0.31%

1971 8.62%

1962 10.16%

1970 5.68%

1961 3.77%

1967 2.63%

1960 2.97%

1965 0.90%

1959 1.52%

1964 0.39%

1958 1.78%

1963 2.44%

1957 3.17%

1962 1.35%

1955 7.64%

1960 5.08%

1954 7.71%

1959 2.03%

1953 0.41%

1958 4.78%

1952 4.31%

1956 1.50%

1955 0.29%

1954 5.85%

1953 0.12%

1952 3.47%

1951 3.62%

1950 3.81%

While the last 31 days may have been distressing, at Sidoxia we understand that terrifying short-term volatility is a necessary requirement for long-term investors, if you desire the sweet appreciation of long-term gains. Fortunately at Sidoxia our long-term investors have benefited quite handsomely over the last 10 years from our half-glass-full perspective. The name Sidoxia actually is derived from the Greek word for “optimism” (aisiodoxia).

Performance has been fruitful in recent years, but the almost decade-long bull market has not been all smooth sailing (see Series of Unfortunate Events), as you can see from the undulating 10-year chart below (2008-2018). Do you remember the Flash Crash, Debt Ceiling, Greek Crisis, Arab Spring, Crimea, Ebola, Sequestration, and Taper Tantrum, among many other events? Similar to the volatility experienced in recent weeks, all these aforementioned events caused scary downdrafts as well.

The S&P 500 hit a low of 666 in March 2009, but even with the significant fall last month, the stock market has more than quadrupled in value to 2,711 today.

The compounding benefits of long-term investing are quite evident over the last decade when you consider the record profits of the stock market. Compounding benefits apply to individual stocks as well, and Sidoxia and its clients have experienced this first hand through ownership in positions in stocks like Amazon.com Inc. (+2,692% in 10 years), Apple Inc. (+1,324%), and Google (parent Alphabet) (+507%), and many other less-familiar growth companies have allowed our client portfolios and hedge fund to outperform their benchmarks over longer periods of time. Although we are proud of our long-term performance, we have definitely had periods of under performance, and there will come a time in which a more defensive stance will be required. However, panicking is very rarely the best course of action when you are talking about your long-term investment strategy. Staying the course is paramount.

During periods of heightened volatility, like we experienced in October, the importance of owning a broadly diversified portfolio across asset classes (including stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities, emerging markets, growth, value, etc.) is worth noting. Of course an asset allocation should be followed according to a risk tolerance appropriate for your unique circumstances. As financial markets and interest rates gyrate, investors should get in the practice of rebalancing portfolios. For example, at Sidoxia, we are consistently harvesting our gains and opportunistically redeploying those proceeds into unloved areas in which we see better long-term appreciation opportunities. This whole investment process is designed for reducing risk and maximizing returns.

As in some famously scary stock market periods in the past, October turned out to be another frightening month for investors. The good news is that we have seen this scary movie many times in the past, and we have lived to tell the tale. The economy remains strong, corporate profits are at record levels and still rising, consumer and business confidence levels are near all-time highs, and interest rates remain historically low despite the Fed’s gradual interest rate hiking policy. While Halloween has definitely worried many investors, history tells us that previous tricks may turn into holiday treats!

This article is an excerpt from a previously released Sidoxia Capital Management complimentary newsletter (November 1, 2018). Subscribe on the right side of the page for the complete text.

DISCLOSURE: Sidoxia Capital Management (SCM) and some of its clients hold positions in AAPL, AMZN, GOOGL, and certain exchange traded funds (ETFs), but at the time of publishing had no direct position in any other security referenced in this article. No information accessed through the Investing Caffeine (IC) website constitutes investment, financial, legal, tax or other advice nor is to be relied on in making an investment or other decision. Please read disclosure language on IC Contact page.

If the world were indeed in the process of ending and we were looking down into the abyss of another severe recession, we most likely would not see the following tangible and objective facts occurring in our economy.

New Revamped NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) 2.0 trade deal between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada was finalized (new deal is called United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement).

Leading Economic Indicators are at a record high (a predictive statistic that historically falls before recessionary periods – in gray)

Are we closer to a recession with the stock market potentially falling 20-30% in value? As I have written on numerous occasions, so-called pundits have been falsely forecasting recessions over the last decade, for as long as this bull market has been alive (see Professional Double-Dip Guesses are “Probably” Wrong).

Why so much investor angst as stock prices continue to chug along to record levels? One reason is investors are used to historically experiencing a recession approximately twice a decade on average, and we have yet to suffer one since the Great Recession around 10 years ago. While the mantra “we are due” for a recession might be a true statement, the fact also remains that this economic recovery has been the slowest since World War II, which logically could argue for a longer expansionary period.

What also holds true is that corporate profits already experienced a significant “profit recession” during this economic cycle, post the 2008-2009 financial crisis. More specifically, S&P 500 operating profits declined for seven consecutive quarters from December 2014 through June 2016. The largest contributors to the 2014-2016 profit recession were collapsing oil and commodity prices, coupled with a rapid appreciation in the value of the U.S. dollar, which made our exports more expensive and squeezed multinational corporation profits. The stock market eventually digested these profit-crimping headwinds and resumed its ascent to record levels, but not before the S&P 500 remained flat to down for about a year and a half (2014-2016).

Doom-and-gloom, in conjunction with toxic politics, continue to reign supreme over the airwaves. If you want in on a beneficial dirty little secret, you and your investments would be best served by ignoring all of the media noise and realizing the world is not going to end any time soon.

This article is an excerpt from a previously released Sidoxia Capital Management complimentary newsletter (October 1, 2018). Subscribe on the right side of the page for the complete text.

DISCLOSURE: Sidoxia Capital Management (SCM) and some of its clients hold positions in certain exchange traded funds (ETFs), but at the time of publishing had no direct position in TSLA or any other security referenced in this article. No information accessed through the Investing Caffeine (IC) website constitutes investment, financial, legal, tax or other advice nor is to be relied on in making an investment or other decision. Please read disclosure language on IC Contact page.

The S&P 500 eclipsed the 2,900 level and the NASDAQ jumped over 8,000 this month – both all-new record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial average also temporarily catapulted above 26,000 in August, but remains 2% shy of the January 2018 record highs. For the year, here are what the gains look like thus far:

S&P 500: +5.3% (2,902)

NASDAQ: +17.5% (8,110)

Dow Jones Industrial: +5.0% (25,965)

For months, and even years, I have written how investors have underestimated the strength of this bull market, which has been driven by an incredible earnings growth, low interest rates, reasonable valuations, and a skeptical mass market of investors. As I pointed out in the article, Why the Masses Missed the 10-Year Bull Market, stock ownership has gone down during this massive quadrupling in the bull market. And many investors have missed the fruits of the bull market due to an over-focus on uncertain politics and scary headlines.

Nothing lasts forever, however, so another correction will likely be in the cards, just as we experienced this February when the S&P 500 index temporarily fell -18% from the January peak. But as I have highlighted previously, attempting to forecast or predict a correction is a Fool’s Errand. At Sidoxia we implement a disciplined, systematic process to identify attractive investments through our proprietary S.H.G.R. model (see also Holy Grail) and the four legs of our macroeconomic framework (earnings, interest rates, valuation, and investor sentiment – see Follow the Stool). With stock prices bouncing around near record highs, it is surprising to some that anxiety still remains elevated, primarily due to polarizing politics and an unfounded fear of an imminent recession.

Despite all the hand wringing going on over political headlines, the fact remains the economic tailwinds have “trumped” any political concerns. After a strong Q2 GDP reading of +4.2%, according to numerous economists, Q3 is tracking for another healthy +3% gain. As the Leading & Coincident Indicator chart shows below, there currently is no sign of an imminent recession.

And jobs remain plentiful in part because of Small Business Optimism (see chart below). It’s common knowledge that small businesses generate the vast majority of new jobs, so these optimism levels hovering near 35-year highs augur well for future hiring, job growth, and investment.

The real economy, as measured by the shipment of goods, is trucking along as well (see the truck tonnage chart below).

While all the positives above have been highlighted already, in the forefront has been an endless string of doomsday forecasts. Scott Grannis captured this sentiment in a six-year chart created by TradeNavigator.com (click here).

As we enter the tenth year of this bull stock market, politics remain polarizing and skepticism reigns supreme. However, until the storm clouds come rolling in, the economy keeps expanding and prices keep moving higher. If the trend continues, as has been the case in recent years, next month’s title could be the same, “Another Month, Another Record.”

This article is an excerpt from a previously released Sidoxia Capital Management complimentary newsletter (September 4, 2018). Subscribe on the right side of the page for the complete text.

DISCLOSURE: Sidoxia Capital Management (SCM) and some of its clients hold positions in certain exchange traded funds (ETFs), but at the time of publishing had no direct position in any other security referenced in this article. No information accessed through the Investing Caffeine (IC) website constitutes investment, financial, legal, tax or other advice nor is to be relied on in making an investment or other decision. Please read disclosure language on IC Contact page.

Financial markets have been battling back and forth like a championship arm-wrestling match as economic and political forces continue to collide. Despite these clashing dynamics, capitalism won the arm wrestling match this month as investors saw the winning results of the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding +4.7% and the S&P 500 index advancing +3.6%.

Fueling the strength this month was U.S. economic activity, which registered robust 2nd quarter growth of +4.1% – the highest rate of growth achieved in four years (see below).

The job market is on fire too with U.S. jobless claims hitting their lowest level in 48 years (see chart below). This chart shows the lowest number of people in a generation are waiting in line to collect unemployment checks.

If that isn’t enough, so far, the record corporate profits being reported for Q2 are up a jaw-dropping +23.5% from a year ago. What can possibly be wrong?

Excess Supply of Concern

While the economic backdrop is largely positive, there is never a shortage of things to worry about – even during decade-long bull market of appreciation. More specifically, investors have witnessed the S&P 500 index more than quadruple from a March 2009 low of 666 to 2,816 today (+322%). Despite the massive gains achieved over the last decade, there have been plenty of volatility and geopolitics to worry about. Have you already forgotten about the Flash Crash, Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, Government Shutdowns, Sequestration, Taper Tantrum, Ebola, Iranian nuclear threat, plunging oil prices, skyrocketing oil prices, Brexit, China scares, Elections, and now tariffs, trade, and the Federal Reserve monetary policy?

Although many investment accounts are up over the last 10 years, many people quickly forget it has not been all rainbows and unicorns. While the stock market has more than quadrupled in value since 2009, we have lived through about a dozen alarming corrections, including the worrisome -12% pullback we experienced in February. If we encounter another -5 -10% correction this year, this is perfectly healthy, normal, and should not be surprising. More often than not, these temporary drops provide opportunistic openings to scoop up valued bargains.

Longtime readers and followers of Sidoxia’s investment philosophy and Investing Caffeine understand the majority of these economic predictions and political headlines are useless noise. Social media, addiction to smart phones, and the 24/7 news cycle create imaginary, scary mountains out of harmless molehills. As I have preached for years, the stock market does not care about politics and opinions – the stock market cares about 1) corporate profits (at record levels) – see chart below; 2) interest rates (rising, but still near historically low levels); 3) the price of the stock market/valuation (which is getting cheaper as profits soar from tax cuts); and 4) sentiment (a favorable contrarian indicator until euphoria kicks in).

Famed investor manager, Peter Lynch, who earned +29% annually from 1977-1990 also urged investors to ignore attempts of predicting the direction of the economy. Lynch stated, “I’ve always said if you spend 13 minutes a year on economics, you’ve wasted 10 minutes.”

I pay more attention to successful long-term investors, like Warren Buffett (the greatest investor of all-time), who remains optimistic about the stock market. As I’ve noted before, although we remain constructive on the markets over the intermediate to long-term periods, nobody has been able to consistently prophesize about the short-term direction of financial markets.

At Sidoxia, rather than hopelessly try to predict every twist and turn in the market, or react to every meaningless molehill, we objectively analyze the available data without getting emotional, and then take advantage of the opportunities presented to us in the marketplace. Certain asset classes, stocks, and bonds, will constantly move in and out of favor, which allows us to continually find new opportunities. A contentious arm wrestling struggle between uncertain tariffs/rising interest rates and stimulative tax cuts/strong economy is presently transpiring. As always, we will continually monitor the evolving data, but for the time being, the economy is flexing its muscle and winning the battle.

This article is an excerpt from a previously released Sidoxia Capital Management complimentary newsletter (August 1, 2018). Subscribe on the right side of the page for the complete text.

DISCLOSURE: Sidoxia Capital Management (SCM) and some of its clients hold positions in certain exchange traded funds (ETFs), but at the time of publishing had no direct position in any other security referenced in this article. No information accessed through the Investing Caffeine (IC) website constitutes investment, financial, legal, tax or other advice nor is to be relied on in making an investment or other decision. Please read disclosure language on IC Contact page.